Casimie wuestee



Mel") 0. WUBSTER.

APPAEATUS FOR MOISTBNING AND ?URFYING AIR. No. 329, 115.` L Patnted'oct. 2.7, 1885.

WITNESSES: 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEYSV UNITED STATES PATENT Qrrret CASIMIR WURSTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING AND PURIFYING AIR.

SPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,115, dai-.ed October 27, 1885.

Application filed February 2, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CASIMIR WURSTER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Moistening and Purifying Air, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an apparatus for moistening and purifying air in dwellings, steam-ears, and other closed spaces, so as to prevent the injurious influence of hot and dry artificial or natural air on the respiratory organs, and make them less subject to colds, catarrhs, diphtheria, and affections of the bronchial tubes and lungs.

In the acconpanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent vertical central sections of two forms of my improved apparatus for moistening and purifying air.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a series of superposed plates made of galvanized sheet-iron, brass, earthenware, or other non-oxidizable material. The plates are supported either by a central pillar, B, as shown in Fig. 1, or by conical center pieees, A', made integral with the plates, as shown in Fig. 2.

The apparatus is made of a size corresponding to the size of the room in which it is to be used. Above the series of superposed plates is arranged a reservoir, C, for supplying the water, which reservoir is provided with a discharge-pipe, b, havinga stop-cock, b', by which the flow of the liquid is regulated or stopped at will. At the base of the apparatus, below the evaporating-plates, is arranged a collecting-pan, D, of larger diameter than the plates and of a suitable size to receive the water from the reservoir B. To increase the evaporating-surface, pieces of glass, pumice-stone, asbestus, mineral wool, or similar substances may be arranged on the plates. The water to be evaporated is conducted from the upper to the lower plates, either by simple 'cverfiow over the rinis of the same or,"preferab1y, by using a suitable drip device, d, such as headed pins fitted into drip-holes of the plates, as shown in Fig. 1, or small bent pieces of glass, metal, or other non-oxidizable material, that rest with their bends on the edges of the plates,

as shown in Fig. 2, and act as siphoning de- Serial No. 1541527. (No model.)

vices, or by eapillary attraetion. The system of superposed plates is surronnded by a sheetmetal casing, E, provided with fol ding or other doors, so as to interrupt the working of the apparatus when required. When the apparatus is to be used, the doors are opened, so

that the air can pass over the surface of the liquid on the plates.

The apparatus is preferably placed in the hot-air flue or in front of the register through which the hot air is supplied to 'the room; or in the summer season itis used hybeing placed in the open window. The air in passing over the liquid evaporates the same and takes np sufficient moisture, so as not to dry or otherwise affect injuriously the mucons nenbrane of the nose, mouth, larynx,and lnngs. The dust carried along by the air is retained by the liquid.

For purifying the air passed through the apparatus, it is mixed with suitable chenicals by which ozone is generated. A solution of common table-salt will produce ozone in small quantities, while the use of permanganate of potash, peroxide of hydrogen, chronic acid, or other suitable chemicals, generates ozone in larger quantities. The alkali formed bythe permanganate of potash,for instance, will unite with the carbonic acid contained in the air, and thereby prodnee a purer air that is better adapted for being taken up by the respiratory organs. If a still larger quantity of ozone isrequired-as, for instance, in sick-roons-a small quantity of sulphurie or phosphoric acid is added to the water, whereby the free permanganie aeid is deconposed quicker by the action of the air than the salt of potassium. The ozone generated by the chemicals in the plates imparts to the air the invgorating qualty of sea or woodland air and neutralizes the deleterious influence of carbonic acid, oxide of carbon, (coalgas,) Sewer-gas, and other obnoxious gases present in the atmosphere of inhabited rooms.

I am aware than an apparatus has heretofore been eonstructed in which the surfaees of vertically-arranged plates are con neeted with superposed troughs by means of bent strips which cond net liquid from the interier of the troughs against the surfaces of the plates connected therewith, while in ny apparatus a series of horizontal plates, arranged one IOO above another, are provided with siphons which conduct the liquid from one phtte to the nextsucceeding plate below. As the drops must pass through the open air a considerable 5 distance between the plates, the air and the liquid are more thoroughly mingled than they would be in the apparatus referred to.

Having thus described my inventon, I claim as new and desi re to secure hy Letters Patent- 1. An apparatusfor moistening and purifying air, consisting of a series of superposed piates, in combination with bent pieees of glass or other non-oxidizable material that rest on the edges of the plates and project downwardiy therefrom, acti ng as siphoning devices, substantiaily as described.

2. The combinution of a series of superposed piates provided with bent pieees of glass or other non-oxdizable material having the bent portion resting on the edge of a plate and eX- tending downward over the next succeeding piate, substuntia'y as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GASIMIR WURSTER Witnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL, CARL KARP. 

